BLM issues emergency closure to tidepool and beach trail at Mal Coombs Park
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WHITETHORN, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is taking steps to protect public safety and improve recreation infrastructure for accessing a small beach and tidepools at Mal Coombs Park in Shelter Cove. The steep trail and stairway leading to the beach and tidepools will be temporarily closed while the BLM plans and completes a new access route.
“Continuous wave erosion is undermining the stairs that lead from the lighthouse area down to the tidepools, and this is compromising public safety, which is our highest concern,” said Mike Holt, manager of the BLM King Range National Conservation Area. “While this access is closed, Shelter Cove residents and visitors will still have great beach access at Black Sands Beach, not far from the Mal Coombs site.”
There is also beach access at the county-owned Shelter Cove Beach at the south end of the community. Additionally, visitors can still picnic and enjoy dramatic coastal views at the Seal Rock and Abalone Point areas while work is underway on the tidepool trail.
Other attractions including the Lost Coast Trail and upland trails and campgrounds in the King Range National Conservation Area remain open year-round, though winter weather can cause access restrictions. Information about the area and a trip planning guide are available at https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/california/king-range-national-conservation-area. Information on current conditions is available by contacting the King Range Office, 707-468-5400.
“We are proud that the King Range is among the 28 national conservation areas managed by the BLM across the West,” Holt said. “We work diligently to manage the area in ways that are informed by science and public engagement.”
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.